Bill from Maspeth

On 5/1/2023 at 8:19 PM, 1998NewFlyer said:

You say that as if I said the r179 is garbage.. I know that the r179 is the best performing  rolling stock in the system. Now that that's cleared up.     AGAIN  IM GETTING R179 VIBES ALL OVER AGAIN. 

Will you get your R179 vibes all over again in a year or 2 when the R211 becomes THE best performing equipment in the system?

On 5/1/2023 at 10:04 PM, ABCDEFGJLMNQRSSSWZ said:

I don't disagree, but I think part of what upsets people is they were testing the R211 around the system for so long before actually putting it in revenue service, and it seems like some of these issues came up during the initial testing and weren't fully addressed/adequately fixed then. I was hoping that because the MTA had already been testing the R211 for so long, most problems were already addressed when they were put in passenger service.

You are missing something.  Yes the cars were testing around the system for a long time before the 30 day test.  But for how many consecutive hours in a day?  

Once the 30  day test in revenue service began, the ran every day for 12-14 hours a day every day.  The repetitive nature of in service testing is a lot different than controlled testing without passengers.

On 5/1/2023 at 10:13 PM, subwaycommuter1983 said:

Not only that. What is also causing people to be very impatient with the r211's is the fact that the r44's and r46's are in terrible shape causing delays in subway service due to constant mechanical issues.

This response is to ALL.

This crowd and this site were not around when the R44/46 were delivered and the same stuff as today went on then.

But because of the internet being around today, the perception is that the initial problems with the R179's and the current problems with the R211's are unique.

If most of the contributors to this board were around from the time the first R46 truck cracks were discovered till the time all the new trucks were delivered and placed into service......well you guys would have something to REALLY bitch and moan about.  And during the same time transit had a very hard time keeping the R44's on the road becasue of numerous mechanical problems. 

You guys love to complain about the incompetence of transit and its executive employees.  Back in the day you guys would REALLY have had something to complain about.  

On 4/28/2023 at 9:47 PM, Ale188 said:

(Sorry, but) And this is why we can't have nice things...

Oh stop being so dramatic!

On 4/28/2023 at 8:23 PM, 1998NewFlyer said:

I'm getting r179 vibes all over again 

Enjoy your vibes because the R179 is the best performing equipment in the system right now based in the MDBF.  

I told you guys the issues on the R179 would be worked out and that is exactly what happened.

The same will be for the R211's.  So lets stop rushing things, nobody tell me they have been on the property long enough to have all issues ironed out by now.  Whenever all issues are ironed out, they will be a fine piece of equipment.

On 4/20/2023 at 6:17 AM, AZthefoamer said:

Still not entirely convinced here - riding the R46s on the will tell you that they need retirement. (Obviously the same is true for the Coney ones, but to a lesser extent.) The should have their R46s retired before other lines have theirs I think (just from observation).

Have you ever heard the expression "You can't judge a book by its cover"?  

On 3/28/2023 at 6:40 PM, RSMG106 said:

2472 was not retired. It was sent to the Volvo facility in Secaucus, New Jersey for overhaul.

That makes sense.  I didn't see why it had to be retired for that reason.  Just put a new tranny in there and be done with it.  The bus is too young to be retired just for a tranny.

On 3/28/2023 at 4:42 PM, engineerboy6561 said:

That's fair; it makes no sense to have surveillance that can't be used in normal operation, but that sounds like something that people need to take up with the MTA rather than something that individual line employees should pick a fight with their bosses over; that said it makes no sense to spend the money to have such a system and not use it.

Who says they have to use the system right now?  

52 minutes ago, JustTheSIR said:

Why not at least let the conductors use it, or if need be, create a new position that rides on the end or forward middle cab that watches the CCTV

You don't get it.  Transit operates like the military.  If they tell you not to do something, you don't do it.  Period!  No questions asked.  Plus these trains have black boxes.  They tell on you.  

LET'S GET BACK ON TOPIC PLEASE AND TALK ABOUT THE R211.

16 hours ago, zacster said:

Got a ride on it today and can't say it felt like a huge upgrade over the R160 or R179.  Lots of new doodads but the ride felt the same, and the announcements are the same.   Seats are smaller, doors are wider, more info displays.  The rest of my party were all expecting open gangways, as that is what is being said about them.

It was pure luck that I rode it too.  My daughter ran the NYC Half Marathon today and we met at Columbus Circle after the run.  We were taking the A to W4th for lunch and lo and behold it pulled into the station.  It was packed.  It crept to 34th and then was still slow the rest of the way.  All the trains were slow today.  I took 6 different trains on 3 lines to follow the run and cheer her on.

I also rode it on Sunday.  Having no idea where it was, around 11:30 AM I was at W.4th southbound.  Unfortunately due to the weekend GO, it was not possible for me to wait at Chambers, Fulton or High Streets.  As luck would have it, it arrived northbound after around a wait of about 1 hour.  So I chased it to 175th St.  After what seemed to be a long wait, it was the next train in...and crowded.  I was able to snatch a handicapped seat and rode to Far Rock.  Naturally it took quite a long time for me to get a good look at the car because of the crowds.  The train ran well, my impression of the train is an R179 on steroids. 

I liked the strip map above every doorway.  I liked the fact that the motors were much quieter than the R179.  I liked the green and red warning lights when the doors were open and closing.  Of course, the price for having wider doors was a very small picture window, which would be cheaper to change when it gets busted by vandals.  As noted just 30 seats in the cars, 6 of which are "reserved" for the handicapped.  The standee poles straddling the blue seats allowed for 2 people on one side and 3 on the other.  But the way the seated men like to spread their legs, the reality is 2 spotter gets taken up by one person and the 3 spotter gets taken up by 2 (more prevalent) so to find a seat in these cars is a crapshoot.  But I always say that you are paying for a ride on the subway, not a seat.  You pay for a seat on commuter rail/Amtrak.  A few well behaved railfans were on board, no foamers (Thanks be to God!).  It was obvious the A line (where I was in my positioning time wise) was running on an extended headway "thanks" to the heavy riding for most of the southbound trip.  When we got to Far Rock as there was an R46 across the platform with all doors closed (which I saw at 34th St. following a bathroom break as I was waiting for an E to get back home) with a 20 minute wait for our R211 to leave the station.  When we got to Howard Beach, a mass of humanity along with their baggage boarded the train.  The train stayed crowded all thru Brooklyn.  It was a good trip.  As mentioned above, I de-trained at 34th St.  I would like to ride it again before the 30 day test is completed some weekday if I have the chance so I can check out the speed on the express tracks between 5-9 and 1-2-5.  The GO's and all the flagging really slows down everything on the weekends.  I feel for my weekend warrior train crews.  It makes the trips very tedious and tiring for them.

On 3/10/2023 at 9:34 AM, LTA1992 said:

I meant exactly what I said.

If you can afford it. Obviously, a calculated decision. Truancy cops exist.

I'm not gonna be a hypocrite either. I did it. But I knew when I could. Good grades and good attendance DOES afford you one day, once in a while. At no consequence.

So long as you don't make it a habit.

Classroom learning is important, but I'm not gonna pretend there wasn't value in me learning the city. Lived experience will always trump books. Yes, I could have kept it to only after school but I'd also be seeing the same thing every day. Also, funnily enough, the subways were less safe after school. Even as a teen, I thought about the variables. Comes with the desire to have as little trouble come my way as possible.

If it can be avoided, avoid it. If you know an action will lead to negative consequences, avoid it.

Lastly, some of us ain't have time after school.

Calculated decision. My taxes also go to their instruction. Their instruction sucks. Advocate for improving that before criticizing me. I was definitely one of the youth it was not, and is still not, designed for.

Actions have consequences.

---------------

And to the person who brought up subway surfing (because why not just go the whole damn mile no matter how unrelated it is):

You can NEVER afford to risk your life. There will be another day of school.  There will be another day of work. You don't get another life. Why the hell would you think "if you can afford it" would apply there? I swear this community likes making fire where there is none.

The people who do this do not give a damn about their life anyway. This includes people who be up in really high places. They do NOT care. You talking ain't gonna do it. Only near death or seeing someone they know die. And sadly, for some, even that ain't enough.

I know the dude who climbed to the top of One WTC back when it was nearly complete. The reason he didn't go to jail was a case of right person, right time.

(Personally, I think he's a fine example of wasted resources. Went to Paris, something he ahould have missed and someone else gone, and he spent more time CLIMBING SHIT than the work we were there to do. Pissed me off. Anywho, the reason he was there was because the very person who kept him out of prison thought the experience would be good for him. He was my first example of a person who, no matter what you do, will not change. It was on the Petite Centure where a few of us learned he doesn't care of he lives or dies. I haven't heard from him in years but I occasionally look up his name.

Last I saw? He was still "getting caught" on the tops of buildings.)

He, himself has said, that he doesn't care about his life. I've met other urban explorers personally and it's usually the same. It's the situations they put themselves in that make them feel alive. Free. Anything else may as well be prison.

And you wanna know why this guy got caught coming down from One WTC? It was on purpose. He wanted to get caught. So he did. He wanted people to know he did it. He could have walked right out, no consequence, and CHOSE not to.

Choice. Funny how we all have that.

And I ain't gonna hold you, if a person somehow thinks surfing the trains is a good idea, school is a waste on them anyway.

In closing: Don't make this bigger than it is. For some of us, one day was definitely inconsequential. Same goes for work. 

If you can afford it. Actions have consequences. And you'd better be prepared to face them.

I can challenge you on so many of your statements......Nobody can afford to miss school instruction.  The more schooling you get, the more you'll make something out of yourself in life.......  You schoolkids who cut class should be challenged by the Safety Agents as to why you're leaving the building.  Furthermore, does mommy/daddy/guardian know you're leaving school early?  They would highly disapprove, if there are responsible.  I never cut a class in my life and neither should you just to ride a train.  You can ride it after school.  Don't your teachers take attendance?  You should be sitting in the same seat in your classes every day with the teacher having cards in a folder to simply scan the room to see who is there and who is missing.  Truancy cops don't exist for kids cutting out early, they exist to go to homes where kids don't show up for school in the first place. You should know this.  Even if you get good grades, why not strive yourself to get EXCELLENT grades?.........Instruction sucks because the teachers are completely frustrated and burnt out with the behavior in the classroom.  They leave the public school system because they can't achieve order in the classroom.  They are not security guards.  The class clown or clowns prevent the teacher from properly teaching the subject.  So don't blame the teachers, blame the students!  When I went to school if a student gave disciplinary problems they went to detention after school.  Does your school have it?.....

On 3/9/2023 at 8:41 PM, Chris89292 said:

2 years of testing was enough time let’s all agree on that, unless they want to spend another year testing the same things all over again, it’s not like an accident will happen if it were to enter service today or next month

Politics rules at MTA.  They were not looking at the calendar.  Heads would roll if they had another new car debacle like the R179's.  Being accepted and then taken out of service so many times.  With the R211's, the political appointees would all lose their jobs this time.  At the agency, the motto is "Cover your ass".  

On 3/10/2023 at 3:30 AM, U-BahnNYC said:

Respectfully, it's not entitlement to expect bare minimum standards, especially from an organization to where my tax dollars are going to. With the bazillions the MTA regularly receives, you'd think we'd have a world-class system but instead we get union corruption and abysmal service. 

Comparing it to the MBTA, an equally abysmal organization, sets the bar quite low. Shouldn't we compare it to the CTA? Or - dare I suggest - the TTC or TfL? 

 

The MBTA is NOT an equally abysmal organization.  It is 10 times worse than NY's MTA.  If you have been following what's been going on with the new cars on the Orange Line, the problems with the old cars on the Orange Line, the new Red Line cars, all the the collisions on the Green Line, then you would agree with me.

Typical New Yorker who thinks the grass is greener on all the other systems.  You don't know how good you have it here.  We do a great job when you consider the number of people we carry vs. the other systems.

7 hours ago, LTA1992 said:

If people can afford to do it, why do you care?

Their time. Their choice. 

(I love freelancing lol. Theres a level of privilege ill never give up)

What do you mean by ""if people can afford it?"   

This goes to all you schoolers: Does it mean you can afford to lose classroom instruction?  Does your guardian (mommy/daddy/grandma/whoever) know you're cutting class?  

As a taxpayer whose taxes goes to YOUR classroom instruction, I want you and everyone else present for all your classes.  No cutting class!  You can ride the train after school!

9 hours ago, Chris89292 said:

They had like 2 years to do that, I think it was enough time, the R211’s are ready for passenger service 

It's not your call!  The vendor and the highest level of management in the appropriate  NYCT department make that decision!

15 hours ago, Nova Fly Guy said:

It is indeed canceled not sure why yet.

How can you consider it cancelled when it was not announced as official in the first place?  

Yesterday some dude on this site claimed it was going to run in service today and youse got ga ga about it that it was fact.

9 hours ago, VIP said:

8401-8404 looks pretty burnt out and the LCD digital Ads makes the cars look worse…on top of looking like rolling rainbow scraps. The TA is definitely mismanaged and reductive. 

You contradict yourself.  If the MTA was so "mismanaged and reductive" they would not have revenue producing LCD digital Ads.  Since they look like "rolling rainbow scraps" they are certainly noticeable by the riders who wouldn't have the same reaction as you, a railfan!

15 hours ago, lornaevo said:

College Point being a CNG depot is always left out of the new stuff. 

ANd when CP gets new stuff, the other depots are left out.  So it all balances out at the end.

On 2/28/2023 at 1:54 PM, zacster said:

They won't even put in better light bulbs on the ones that are running.  There are a few sets that have LED bulb replacements and these are much brighter but they aren't replacing the others.

They'll replace them when they burn out!

On 1/19/2023 at 1:25 AM, ace1228 said:

I have been an MTA Bus Operator in Queens. My probation got extended because of a red light camera ticket. Recently, I think I got flashed by a speed camera. I want to know if I will be terminated if I do in fact receive a speed camera ticket. My extended probation is supposed to be over in April & I’m just trying to get off probation already. Does anybody know if this will lead to a termination ?

See your union rep at the depot.

On 2/21/2023 at 2:06 PM, Lawrence St said:

If I’m not mistaken the SIRT cars aren’t in married pairs so they can always just disable the cab and use it as a B car.

You still don't understand.  6214 is an R46.  SIR does not use R46 cars.  They do use R44 cars.  Plus even if they were able to send 6214 to Staten Island, it would still have to be outfittted to their signal system....yes, even though it would not be an operating car.  Plus there are exterior differences, FRA stuff.  Like handles on the side of the cars to climb into the car via a side door.  And they would have to do much electrical work to modify the side doors and put the key hole in there.  They are not going to do that.  It's a waste of money.

50 minutes ago, Bill from Maspeth said:

Pending scrap.  Along with 6345 to 6349.

Correction: 6346 to 6350.

1 minute ago, Lawrence St said:

Wow…the one car that didn’t get any damage and their response is “let’s strip all the parts off it instead of the damaged cars!” 😑

I'm only telling you how they do things.

I am blue in the face because I've been saying this for YEARS, on this site, even on SubChat/SubTalk: anybody here who doesn't like MTA/NYCT procedures has the option of taking an entrance exam, get hired, take promotions and move up the ladder into management and decision making positions.

1 minute ago, Lawrence St said:

Honestly then send 6214 to SIR. Makes no sense for it to sit here doing nothing.

Mixing R44's and R46's is a no-go.

Plus the way I know NYCT does things (I only worked for the place for 33+ years), 6214 is stripped of all usable spare parts by now.....just a shell of its' former self!

12 minutes ago, biGC323232 said:

No...Those are being scapped...6150 6151 was involved with a  Derailment 

And car body damage.

1 hour ago, limitednyc said:

Cuase that's what the ridership servays and current service say.

No.  That's so running  time could be cut so they could get more "seat time" out of the operators during their shift.  

7 minutes ago, RandomRider0101 said:

No problem, but you gotta make sure your info is accurate b4 you post.

The same goes for other posters here; pls do not report any units as retired until you know for sure that it is actually retired.

Thanks.  I've been saying that for a long time.  In the depots there would be a sign on the bus with those dreaded words with the fare box taken out.  If "I heard from someone"....... that's where the inaccuracies come from.

8 minutes ago, Lawrence St said:

If 2673 isn’t scrap why is it at Eastchester?

More than likely by orders of MTA's legal department.